Spectrally encoded endoscope (SEE) is an endoscope technology which uses a broadband light source, a rotating grating and a spectroscopic detector to encode spatial information on a sample. When illuminating light to the sample, the light is spectrally dispersed along one illumination line, such that the dispersed light illuminates a specific position of the illumination line with a specific wavelength. When the reflected light from the sample is detected with the spectrometer, the intensity distribution is analyzed as the reflectance along the line. By rotating or swinging the grating back and forth to scan the illumination line, a two-dimensional image of the sample is obtained.
In the field of medical diagnoses, a thin (<0.5 mm) probe is highly expected for imaging organs or tissues located in deep with less interventions. A SEE probe has tremendous potential to provide high resolution imaging through small optical fibers.
A basic SEE system can only provide morphological images, and then physicians may not be able to obtain any tissue information other than images. For example, a Doppler SEE can provide flow velocity information with additional heterodyne interferometric equipment for broadband wavelength. The Doppler measurement has an advantage for measuring localized flow velocities, such as identification of blood flow. However, the main problem of using the Doppler measurement is that it requires continuous particle flow in one direction perpendicular to the optical axis. When light scattering particles in tissue moves randomly, which is seen in any tissues, the accuracy of the Doppler measurement is essentially dropped. Therefore, using the Doppler measurement is difficult for physicians to characterize tissue type.
Additionally, those skilled in the art try to remove, or avoid the use of, speckle detection when evaluating or characterizing tissue due to noise and/or inefficiencies related to speckle detection.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide at least one SEE technique, storage medium and/or apparatus or system for use in at least one optical device, assembly or system to achieve efficient characterization and/or identification of biological object(s) or tissue, especially in a way that reduces or minimizes cost of manufacture and maintenance.